My Future is With You
by Young Mistress Malfoy
Summary: Draco Malfoy makes a mistake that threatens to destroy what would be a happy relationship between him and Ginny. Will he have the courage and take the right steps to save it?
1. When Things Seemed Perfect

**Disclaimer:** Characters belong to the very brilliant Ms. JK Rowling. The plot of this fic is all I own.

**Chapter 1- When Things Seemed Perfect**

Draco Malfoy breathed deeply as he woke up. It was still night. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room, he felt something like warm air course through his bare chest. He looked down at the source of the "air" and smiled.

Ginevra Weasley.

She was there, sleeping peacefully in his arms, her warm breath tickling his chest in the rhythm of her steady breathing. Her head lay on his right arm; holding her waist was his left. He brought his left hand to her head and caressed her hair, her luxuriant red hair that was spread on his arm and his pillows.

That's right: _they_ were sleeping on _his_ bed. As Head Boy, he had his own room, with no dorm mates to share it with.

They have been seeing each other since the opening of the new school year, where Ginny was in seventh year, and so were Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, and their entire batch that didn't get to finish school because of the battle of Hogwarts against Lord Voldemort's forces. Apparently they had gotten to know each other sometime after the final battle. She was looking for Harry, Ron and Hermione after Luna yelled something, which Ginny was sure was just a ploy to divert everyone's attention away from Harry, thus letting him slip away from the crowd. Ginny wandered the halls and opened classrooms, but instead of finding Harry she walked in on the unconscious form of Draco Malfoy. She attended to him, and when he regained consciousness the first thing that came out of his lips was: "Was it you who hit me?" Ginny, who normally would have flared up at such an accusation after she had just attended to him, simply said no. She also explained that the battle was over, and that Harry won. Instead of brightening up, his eyes fell, downcast. Ginny had never seen him look like that. Usually he wore that insolent smirk on his face. "They're dead, then?" he said, just above whisper. When Ginny didn't seem to understand what he was saying, he continued, "My parents."

Ginny was speechless. She never knew that he _did_ really care for his parents. She thought he bragged about them just to rub in everyone's faces that he was _of pureblood lineage._ Slowly she reached out her hand and patted him on the back. She whispered comforting words in his ear, and astonishingly he had leaned his head on her shoulder. Then they heard voices, and suddenly Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy burst into the room. Ginny witnessed their reunion, and was reminded of Fred. Unlike Malfoy's parents, Fred _was_ dead, and the thought brought tears to her eyes. Draco immediately noticed this and excused himself from his parents' company. He went over to Ginny, and it was his turn to comfort her. That was how it started for them. How they got into a relationship is history.

At first, the Malfoy and Weasley parents weren't at all impressed to learn that the two of them were in a relationship, and to say that Ron went ballistic was to understate what happened. Ron pounced on the two of them the day Ginny brought Draco over to the Burrow to formally present him to her parents. _At least her parents acted civil,_ Draco thought, and so did his parents too. They acted civil towards Ginny when he presented her to them. _Ronald just couldn't help being a prat._ Suddenly Ginny stirred from her sleep, breaking his train of thought. Slowly, she opened her eyes and smiled at him. _Gods,_ Draco thought. _She's breathtaking._ In Draco's eyes, Ginny sported the perfect "after-lovemaking" look. Even after they have done it lots of times, Draco never tired of seeing her in this state. She looked sated, and yet ready for another one.

He brought his lips down to hers, kissing her gently, while his left hand which had been on her hair a while ago had snaked around the small of her back, pressing her body closer to his. Ginny kissed him back, and after a while their kisses became more heated, then they once again shared the intoxicating happiness of being physically one, of being united to each other's body. As the waves of their ecstasy receded, they listened to each other's deep breathing. Draco noted the flowery smell that emanated from Ginny. He held her hands to his lips and kissed each finger lovingly, all the while never breaking contact with her eyes.

"I love you," he whispered, looking deep into her eyes as he finished kissing her fingers.

"I love you too, Draco" Ginny answered. Draco pulled her close to him again and sighed in her ear.

"What's wrong?" Ginny whispered, backing away from him just enough to look into his eyes, searching for what was troubling him.

"I know that this isn't the right place, Ginny, but I want to ask you now, in case no other opportunity comes along. We are both about to finish school." Draco said seriously. "Will you marry me? Will you be the mother of my children?" he asked.

Ginny smiled at herself. "Well, of course I _am_ the mother of your children," she said playfully. "as for marrying you…"

"Wait," Draco cut her off. "What do you mean you _are_ the mother of my children? Are you…are you..."

"Yes Draco," she said. "I _am_ with child. _Your_ child. _Our_child." Ginny looked at him, waiting for his reaction. But whatever she was waiting for, it certainly wasn't this: Draco groaned, sat up and ran his hands through his hair.

"What's wrong Draco?" she asked, a little worried. Draco looked at her with sad and distressed eyes.

"Ginny, when I asked you to marry me, I was hoping you'd answer it _now_." He said. "But the second part of my question is for the future. When we are married and have settled down. I...I didn't know you were…_with child_, I'm…I'm not yet ready for this." He finished miserably. "I'm sorry, but…the child has to go…we can't have one yet right now."

Ginny's eyes filled with tears. What was he asking? This man whom she loved and gave herself fully to was asking her to get rid of the child she was carrying in her womb. _Their_ child. Her heart broke, and then her sadness was quickly replaced by anger.

"So what are you saying, huh, Draco?" She challenged, tears still in her eyes. "Are you telling me to terminate _our_ child?"

Draco only looked at her miserably, his heart also obviously breaking for her. And yet, the answer he was sending her is clear.

"Fine." Ginny said. "I'll go ask Professor Snape to brew me a Fetus-expelling potion." With that, she stood up and dressed, even as she was shaking with anger and a broken heart. Then she crossed the room in a few strides, got out and slammed the door in her anger. She headed for the dungeons, where Professor Snape's office was, crying all the way. Draco was left sitting up on his bed, not even bothering to dress up. He ran his hands through his hair again.

Why? He asked. Why did things become like this?

* * *

**A/N: So, here you are. This is the first chapter. The whole concept of it came to me one sleepless night. The storyline is fixed in my mind, though the story itself is not yet written in paper. I promised myself I would upload only when I'm finished writing the whole of it so I would upload regularly and not keep my readers waiting, but I couldn't resist uploading the first chapter. I would like to know what you think about it. Constructive criticisms are welcome; you can point out inconsistencies, errors in grammar, etc. Enjoy!**


	2. The Deal

**Disclaimer:** Characters belong to the very brilliant Ms. JK Rowling. The plot of this fic is all I own.

**Chapter 2- The Deal**

Ginny slammed the door of Draco's Head Boy room. It was then that the tears she fought back earlier fell freely from her eyes. She could not believe what Draco wanted her to do. She ran in her anger, headed towards the dungeons. She did not even think of what might happen if Filch caught her running around the school at that time of night. Ginny reached the dungeons and shivered due to the lower temperature of this part of the school, but walked around determinedly, looking for Snape's office. She knew that Snape would be there, for the teachers have their own sleeping quarters in their offices.

Finally Ginny reached Snape's office, the last dungeon door in the hall. She knocked on the heavy wooden door, and then realizing that she probably wasn't making any sound, she pounded on it. After a few times of pounding, Snape opened the door and came out, wearing a black bathrobe and a sleepy frown. His annoyed expression changed into concern when he saw the tears on her face, but it was Ginny who spoke first.

"Good evening Professor. Sorry to barge in on you like this, but…"

"Please get inside, Miss Weasley." Snape cut her off. "Filch might see you, and I think it would not benefit you, considering your, ah…_situation_." he said, pertaining to the tears in her eyes. He moved aside and let her in, and the first thing she noticed as she entered were the large shelves that lined every wall of the dungeon room. Shelves for potions, potion ingredients, and books. Suddenly she felt warmth wash over her; Snape had lit the grate. She turned towards the potions professor and he motioned for her to sit on one of the chairs, while he seated himself behind his desk.

"So, Miss Weasley, what brings you here?" Snape said, scrutinizing her with his gaze.

Ginny decided it was best to be direct to the point. "Professor, I need you to brew a potion for me." she stated rather bluntly. Snape's eyes widened at her request. Whether he was not used to bluntness from students or whether he found her requesting him as stupid bravery, Ginny did not know. Snape just continued looking at her.

"I know you're thinking that I could sneak around and do it with Hermione's help," Ginny pressed on, wiping her tears. "but Professor, I really need_your_ help. I don't have enough time to sneak into your private stores _and_ brew the potion. I…I…" she hiccupped as she tried to fight back new tears. "I'm _with child_, Professor. Please help me."

Somehow her confession to another person reminded her of Draco. Unable to control them any longer, she let her tears fall freely. She cried silently, shaking from her anguish.

Snape stared at the girl in front of him. He could not believe that Ginny Weasley was with child. He thought she was more…_responsible_ than that. What would that hulking brother of hers say? More importantly, who is the father of the child?

"Please calm down Miss Weasley," Snape said tentatively, in an effort to make her stop crying "and tell me what kind of potion you need."

Ginny hiccupped again as she regained her composure. She forced herself to look into Snape's eyes. Then she steeled herself.

"I want a potion to get rid of the child." she said plainly, her voice cold with anger.

"Oh? And why would you want to do that?" Snape countered. "Has the father had a say in this?"

"He's the one who wanted me to get rid of it in the first place!" she said, her voice getting louder with every word. She felt herself breaking down again._Be strong now, Ginevra!_ Her mind scolded.

Snape was surprised at her outburst. His curiosity was piqued further as to who this_irresponsible_ man might be, so he asked: "Who is he, Miss Weasley? Perhaps we could talk him into letting you keep the child. I am right in assuming you want to keep it, am I not?"

Ginny's face paled. Yes, she wanted to keep the child, but Draco did not. How on earth is she supposed to raise a child on her own, and the child of Draco Malfoy, at that? Oh, it would surely be obvious that this child was his. At least, the child would have strawberry blond hair; at most, it would have _his_ white blond hair. The Malfoys were known for having their traits dominant in their offspring.

"I doubt that Draco will change his mind, Professor." she said, sadness apparent in her voice.

Draco? As in _the_ Draco Malfoy? He is the father of the child that Ginny Weasley was carrying? Snape was bewildered. He never would have believed it. He hesitated. Although he agreed with her that it is too dangerous to brew the Fetus-expelling potion, he would not want her to terminate the child, either. Ginny seemed to sense his reluctance, and broke the silence.

"Please do not try to talk me out of it Professor. My mind is decided. Besides, Draco wants me to do it, too." she said, a hint of desperation in her voice.

Snape considered Ginny. He knew that somehow, it would be an easy way out for her if he did what she asked.

"Alright Miss Weasley. The potion will be ready in three days. "

"Thank you, Professor." Ginny said, feeling grateful for her professor, yet remorseful for herself. After all, she really did want to keep the child.

--

Draco stood up from his sitting position on the bed. He picked up his clothes which were discarded a moment ago, when he made love to Ginny, when everything seemed perfect. As he put them on, he remembered her taking them off for him. He sighed and sat down on the bed again. Why had he ruined everything? He's got Ginny; he loves her and she's carrying his child, why the hell did he have to hurt her by saying that he isn't ready for the child? It's partly his responsibility that she is with child, after all. The more what he did replayed in his mind, the more he wanted to kick himself. He was such a prick. He lay down on the bed and considered going after her, but then he thought she might be too mad and hex him, so he decided to talk to her the next morning, when things have cooled down. Yes, that was right. He'd let her cool down and then he would grovel for her forgiveness. He would say that he's sorry, and that he'd like to marry her still and keep _their_ child. She'd be cold at first, he knew, but he would do anything to make her give in. And she _would_ give in. With that thought he comforted himself, and slowly, he fell asleep.

--

The morning sun shone on Ginny's eyes as Hermione drew the hangings of her four-poster. They shared a dormitory now, being that they were in the same year.

"Good morning Ginny! Wake up! Breakfast is being served in the great hall." Hermione told her in an enthusiastic voice. Ginny yawned and tried to open her eyes.

"Okay Herm, you go ahead, I'll catch up with you." She said as she yawned again. Her conversation with Snape gave her little time to sleep last night. Her head felt heavy.

"Are you okay Ginny? Your eyes are red." Hermione observed.

Ginny was suddenly conscious of herself. "Really? Well, I had a hard time sleeping last night." She changed the topic before Hermione could interrogate her further. "How are you coping up with Divination? I heard Trelawney predicted you'd sprout corn on your ears yesterday." Ginny knew her diversion worked when Hermione frowned.

"Well yes. The mad woman told me I'd sprout corn during charms. And then Parkinson, who was my working partner yesterday, cast the corn-growing charm on me and laughed hysterically. I think she did it just to spite me. You know how she hates me!" Hermione ranted.

Ginny suppressed the urge to giggle as she imagined Hermione with corn sprouting on her ears. "Don't worry, you'll get back at her in some way." She said as she stood up to dress. Hermione's ranting took her mind from her present situation. "You go ahead to breakfast now." She said. Hermione nodded and took off.

Ginny finished getting dressed and grabbed her bag. She went directly to the great hall as the smell of food invited her to eat. When she came to the great hall, however, her eyes fell at once on the Slytherin table. All her appetite seemed to have vanished as she saw Draco. Draco spotted her as well and smiled at her in an I'm-sorry-about-last-night way. She wanted to go hex him; how dare he smile at her like that? She stormed all the way to her usual seat in the Gryffindor table between Hermione and Neville. Nobody noticed her irritation that she took out on her food; everybody was busy chatting. She finished her toast and reached for a muffin. After that she grabbed a water goblet and gulped the pumpkin juice that it held. Just as she was about to shove a piece of treacle tart down her mouth, she stopped and covered her mouth. She felt sick. _Oh god, morning sickness? Why here, of all places?_ She thought bitterly. She pushed her plate away and got up, trying not to be noticed. Then she rushed outside the great hall into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. She needed to be undisturbed as she threw up. No one noticed the greenish tinge in her face and her hurry to get out of the great hall but a pair of grey eyes which had followed her since she entered the great hall.

--

Draco spotted Ginny as she entered the great hall. He smiled at her apologetically, but upon seeing him her demeanor went sour and she stormed all the way to her seat. He watched her as she ate angrily; he knew she was lashing her anger out on the food. He felt guilty, apparently she hasn't calmed down yet. _Well, so much for my plan_, he thought. Just as he was thinking up another plan to talk to her, he saw Ginny stop the spoon inches away from her mouth with a bewildered expression on her face. He watched her put her hand over her mouth, push her plate away and stand up. Then she rushed out of the great hall. He considered what happened and was bewildered as he put the pieces together. Ginny's with child and she suddenly stopped her eating tantrums…_Oh gods_, he thought to himself. _She must be throwing up!_ He stood from his seat to follow her wherever she was, murmuring his excuse "washroom" to Blaise who sat beside him at the Slytherin table. He was worried about her, and yet he thought, _Who knows? If I comfort her and be there beside her while she is throwing up or feeling uncomfortable, she might forgive me more easily._ With that thought as well as concern in mind, he walked out of the great hall to find Ginny.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry this took so long to upload, but you won't believe the **_**large**_** pile of work that is waiting for me to do right now. I have a long test aside from all the paperworks…well let's not talk about that, I wouldn't want you to think I'm giving excuses for being an **_**irresponsible**_** writer. As you can see, this chapter is longer than the first, which is my way to compensate for the, ah, **_**tardiness**_** on my part. This is kind of a buildup for the next chapter which will be interesting. Haha. I dunno, maybe I'll be able to upload it in three days' time.**

**Until then, reviews will be appreciated!**

** Young Mistress Malfoy**


	3. Draco's Remorse

**Disclaimer:** Characters belong to the very brilliant Ms. JK Rowling. The plot of this fic is all I own.

**Chapter 3- Draco's Remorse**

Draco wandered outside the great hall, trying to listen for retching sounds. He walked on, and faintly, he heard the sound he was looking for: Ginny's retching. He walked more hurriedly as the sounds grew stronger. He stopped in front of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom; Ginny's throwing up ceased momentarily. He contemplated going in, since this _was_ a girl's bathroom, and Moaning Myrtle's at that. Before he could make up his mind, though, Ginny started retching again. Draco abandoned his reasonings and rushed in, greeted by the sight of Ginny's semi-digested food on the floor. Thankfully, there were only few of the _stuff_ on the floor, as the rest were in the sink where she was throwing up. He approached her cautiously and laid a hand on her back. Then gently he stroked her back, trying to comfort her.

--

Ginny felt someone enter the bathroom, and true enough, as she looked at the mirror, there was someone. And not just any someone, but it was Draco. She ignored him, hoping that he'd go away at the sight of her vomit on the floor. But she heard him walk closer to her. As she vomited, she wondered what he would do. She felt his warm hand touch her back, and then he gently stroked her. Ginny felt her blood boil. What was he playing at? Did he actually think she would soften up with this? She was about to face him and give him a piece of her mind, but then bile rose up in her throat again, and she threw up. She wasn't vomiting much, just bits and pieces of her breakfast, and lots of acidic saliva. She stopped again, and wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. Her breathing was ragged.

"Are you…alright?" Draco asked, still stroking her back gently. Ginny glared weakly at him from the mirror, but Draco continued stroking her back. She prepared to do battle, and faced him angrily.

"What does it look like, Malfoy?" she hissed. Draco was taken aback and she almost smiled in victory at the bewilderment on his face, but he regained his composure again. He sported an "understanding" look, like the look her mother gives her when she is having her temper flares during her period. The look in his face infuriated her all the more. She grabbed the front of his robes in her knuckles.

"Ginny…" Draco began gently, holding her knuckles in his hands, but Ginny cut her off.

"Malfoy, you think you could appease me with this, after what you said and did last night? Well, you thought wrong you pompous ferret. I am not like the other girls who swoon at the sight of you, and who'd easily forgive you if you rubbed their backs like that." She paused and breathed, feeling bile rise up her throat again, but she wasn't quite through. "I don't think a little back rub is enough compensation for what you…" she stopped suddenly, and…retched. She vomited on the front of Draco's robes. For the second time that day, Draco was shocked. Ginny removed her hold from Draco's robes and faced the sink, and vomited some more. Draco just stood there, looking nonplussed.

Ginny felt that she was finished so she washed her face. After that she dried her face with a flick of her wand, and stepped out of the bathroom. She left Draco inside and went up to Gryffindor tower. The start of her day wasn't exactly good, and she wasn't feeling any better, so she decided to skip her classes today. But part of her reason for skipping classes was that she didn't want to meet Draco anymore this day. In her opinion, she'd seen enough of him to last her a week.

--

After Ginny left, Draco snapped out of his shock. He ran to follow her, but when he stepped out of the bathroom, she was nowhere in sight. He sighed and pulled out his wand. He pointed it at his chest and muttered "_Scourgify!"_, which cleared his robes of Ginny's vomit. He went back inside the great hall, in the hopes of finding Ginny there. Of course, she wasn't there. He sighed again, but felt a little relieved when he remembered that they both had double transfiguration after breakfast. Surely he would meet her there. He would use the classroom setting so that he would be able to talk to her properly without fear of getting hexed. He was so absorbed in formulating the best speech to tell her that he didn't notice everybody moving to get to class. Blaise nudged him.

"Draco, get a move on, you're blocking everyone's way." He scolded Draco gently.

"Oh, right." Muttered Draco under his breath. He was walking with anticipation. As he approached McGonagall's classroom, his heart beat faster. He looked around for Ginny as he entered, but was disappointed to see she wasn't there. After two hours, Transfiguration ended. As the seventh years moved from class to class, He hoped that Ginny would show up. But the day ended without him seeing her again. He sat in irritation at the couch inside his Head Boy room. _Oh well,_ he thought, _there's always tomorrow._

--

Ginny woke up from her sleep when she felt the Gryffindors enter the tower for the night. She had fallen asleep on the couch of the common room, and as she stretched, her stomach rumbled. She hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, and even that didn't count because she threw it up. She practically ate nothing all day. She made her way to the portrait hole, greeting her fellow seventh years, and assuring them she just had a headache as reason why she wasn't seen in any of her classes today. She pushed the portrait open and was about to head for the kitchens, when she remembered the Fetus-expelling potion. She decided to check on its progress before eating, so she headed to the dungeons.

When she reached the last dungeon in the hall, which was Snape's office, she knocked loudly on the heavy wooden door. Snape opened the door a crack and peeked out, his nose coming out of the crack. When he saw Ginny, he opened the door wider and bade her come in. She sat down on one of the chairs again while Snape closed the door. With his wand, he locked the door, and muttered "_Muffliato!"_ under his breath. Then he faced Ginny.

"Why are you here, Miss Weasley? Don't you know that Filch is making his rounds at this time?" Snape said reprovingly.

"Professor, I would just like to know if you've started brewing the potion." Ginny said. "I want to get rid of the child as soon as possible, before I become…_attached_ to it." She said affectedly.

Snape peered at Ginny. In the depths of his heart, he pitied her, for he knew that she was just trying very hard to be strong in this situation.

"I started brewing the potion immediately after you left. It will be ready tomorrow" he said plainly, hiding the pity he felt for the girl.

Ginny felt her heart leap, and her throat went dry. She thought she'd feel relieved to know that she would soon be rid of the child in her womb, but why did she feel different? Why did she feel like she wanted to cry and stop Snape from brewing the stupid potion?

Snape watched Ginny's eyes grow a little wide, and decided to break the silence with which she greeted his announcement.

"You may go now, Miss Weasley, before Filch patrols this corridor and catches you."

Ginny simply nodded, got out of Snape's office, and headed towards the Gryffindor tower. She had lost all thoughts of food. When she reached the portrait of the fat lady, she stared into space and did not hear the fat lady, until she called her loudly.

"Well, are you going to give me the password or are you just going to stare around for the rest of the night?" The fat lady scoffed.

"Oh, sorry._Valiance._" She said absently. The fat lady rolled her eyes and swung her portrait open. Ginny stepped into the deserted common room, and walked all the way to her dormitory into her bed. Without bothering to change into her nightgown and with confused thoughts in her mind, she fell asleep.

--

The next day Draco eagerly waited for Ginny in the great hall. He _had_ to tell her that he'd changed his mind about the child. He didn't know yet exactly what he'd say to her; what's important now is that he sees her first, and that he gets a chance to be alone with her. After that is when he'd think of how to say it to her.

He spotted her as she entered the great hall. Their eyes met, and he expected her to react with hostility towards him like she did yesterday. Surprisingly, she didn't. She just looked…Draco couldn't place it…drained? Tired? He didn't know. Ginny broke eye contact and walked to her usual place. As he watched her, he was disturbed. She wasn't her normal self. The normal Ginny would have been agitated at the sight of him. He could tell that something else was bothering her…

--

Ginny ate her breakfast without energy, even though her hunger had come back when she woke up this morning. She was thinking about the potion that was now sitting quietly in Snape's office, waiting to be drank. Mentally she was counting down the time that her child has left before it is expelled from her body. She was thinking of its fragileness and helplessness. Suddenly, she felt hot tears pooling in her eyes, threatening to fall out. She tried to blink them back, but instead her tears fell. Unfortunately, Hermione saw it.

"Ginny? What's wrong? Why are you crying?" she said, placing her hand gently on Ginny's back. Ginny sniffed and shrugged Hermione off.

"It's nothing, Hermione. Something fell into my eye, that's all."

Hermione persisted, bless her. "Do you want me to blow it off for you?"

"It's okay, Hermione, you don't have to exert yourself." Ginny said stiffly, trying to rub at her eyes to reinforce her charade. "I think my tears are sufficient to flush the dirt out."

Hermione reluctantly withdrew her hand from Ginny's back. "Uh, okay Ginny." She said, and started to eat again, now and then throwing concerned glances in Ginny's direction. Ginny got irritated with Hermione, but she focused her energy on eating a decent breakfast. She had to make herself strong, for she had to have a huge amount of courage to do what she had to do tonight.

--

Breakfast ended, and the seventh year Gryffindors and Slytherins proceeded to their potions classroom. They had double potions today. They entered the large dungeon. Since the start of the term, the classrooms of the seventh years were always big because of their large population this term. As usual, the Slytherins sat on one side, while the Gryffindors sat on the other. The two houses never mixed if they could help it.

Snape entered the dungeon classroom and everybody fell silent instantly. He waved his wand, and the names of the working partners appeared on the chalkboard. Snape always paired a Gryffindor with a Slytherin.

Draco was waiting for this, for Snape always paired him with Ginny. He knew it would be the perfect time to talk to her, but as he looked up his name, he saw that he was partnered with Lavender Brown. He looked for Ginny's name and saw that she was partnered with Blaise Zabini. That wasn't a problem, since Blaise had treated her civilly when he learned that she and Draco were a couple. The only thing was, he wouldn't be able to talk to her.

The hours seemed to drag by for Draco. He kept his eyes on Ginny all the time, and he saw that she wasn't really paying attention; she just did what Blaise asked her to do. He waited for the bell, and when it rang, he stood up from his seat quickly in order to stop Ginny while she is going out of the dungeon. He wanted to pull her into an empty classroom so that they could talk. He didn't care about being late or even missing Charms, as that was the Slytherins' next subject, again with Gryffindors. But in his haste as he stood, he tipped the cauldron with the boiling potion and spilled it on the floor. Chaos broke out. The girls screamed even though the potion did not eat away their skin, for it was really boiling hot. Snape was livid.

"Silence!" Snape bellowed. At once, silence was restored, except for a few whimperings here and there. "All of you, get out of this room in an orderly fashion. And Mr. Malfoy," Snape said, eyeing Draco who stood up to get out, "please be so kind as to stay and clean the mess you made."

Draco groaned as everyone got out of the dungeon. He just robbed himself of the opportunity to talk to Ginny. His eyes watched her as she and her friends, the Golden Trio, filed out of the room. The trio and all the others started talking animatedly the moment they stepped out of the dungeon, but Ginny remained quiet. He really started worrying for her. Draco's gaze shifted from Ginny to Snape. Then he got an idea. He cleared up the spilled potion with the scouring spell, and approached Snape who was arranging unused potion ingredients back to the shelves.

"Excuse me Professor." He said tentatively.

"What is it, Draco?" Snape said, facing him.

"Uh, has Ginny approached you for help regarding, ah…_something serious?_"

--

Ginny was absentminded the whole time, and she was surprised that she was somehow steered into the magically enlarged Charms classroom. Notes appeared on the board at once, and she looked for her notebook, only to find it isn't there. _Oh dear, I'm so absent-minded, I probably left it back at the dungeons._ She thought bitterly. She excused herself to Professor Flitwick, who just walked into the room. She went down to the dungeons to retrieve her notebook. When she got there, directly in front of the room, she noticed that the door was ajar, and from within, Draco's voice issued. He was clearly angry and there was a note of panic in his voice.

"Really Professor, I wouldn't think you'd help her out like _that_!" He said as he pointed to the blood red potion that was on one of the shelves, anger dripping from his voice. Ginny stifled a gasp. _The potion!_

"Well Draco, if you hadn't asked her to get rid of it in the first place, I wouldn't have needed to brew the potion at all!" Snape countered, his temper rising with his voice. "In fact, do you know what I think? I think you are irresponsible, getting her in that condition, and then running away from it!"

"But still, you'd agreed with her! And without asking me first!" Draco seethed.

"As if she had another choice!" Snape yelled. Ginny gasped, unable to muffle it this time. She would have found the situation funny if it wasn't for the fact that it was her they were talking about. So Snape told Draco! _Oh my,_ Ginny groaned inwardly. Snape continued speaking, dropping the volume of his voice a little but still retaining its angry tone. "And Miss Weasley did tell me that you wanted her to get rid of the child, so I didn't feel the need to consult you!"

Draco was silenced by Snape's statement. Ginny peeked inside and saw a muscle in his jaw twitching. Finally, he looked into Snape's eyes again and spoke.

"Stop her. Please. Don't let her do it." He said, his voice heavy with pleading.

Ginny couldn't believe her ears. Why didn't he want her to terminate now? Wasn't that what he had wanted to do from the time she told him she was with child? Why was he making everything harder for her? Before any of them could speak, she ran away from the door, not wishing to hear another word of their conversation anymore. She ran confusedly until she reached the door of the Charms classroom. There she stopped to catch her breath, and then walked inconspicuously to her seat. She forced away all thoughts of Draco as she tried to focus on the lesson. Draco didn't show up for the whole period, and Ginny was thankful for that.

--

"Stop her. Please. Don't let her do it." Draco said to the potions master, his voice heavy with pleading.

"And why would I do that? I only wish to alleviate her pain, that's why I'm helping her. Pain that _you_ caused." Snape said coldly.

"I…I…I've changed my mind." Draco stuttered, trying his hardest not to let his emotions overpower him. "I want her to keep the child. I love Ginny, and I want us to become a family. If you help me, Professor, I swear I won't hurt her like that again. Just…please don't let her get rid of our child."

Snape scrutinized Draco. The young man was on the verge of tears, and he knew it.

"Very well. I will see that she doesn't follow through with her plan. I expect that you will keep your promise Draco. I doubt that your father teaches irresponsibility." Snape said, his black eyes boring into his stormy grey ones. "However, if she comes back asking me for help again, I would shove the whole vial of that potion down her throat immediately."

Draco felt relieved. "Thank you, Professor."

Snape nodded. Draco got up to leave just as the bell rang. He had missed Charms. He proceeded to the great hall for lunch.

--

Ginny's mind was distracted from "Draco thoughts" due to the hard task that Professor Flitwick was asking them to do. When the bell sounded, she almost happily got out of the room and headed towards the great hall to eat lunch. She was already seated and was eating (sweet and sour lamb chop, mixed vegetables and treacle tart) when Draco walked into the hall. Automatically, they looked into each others' eyes. Her stare was defiant, while his was intense. After a few seconds they broke eye contact; Draco resumed his walk to the Slytherin table and Ginny resumed eating. After eating, Ginny looked around for Snape. He wasn't at the staff table, so Ginny thought he was probably in his office. Ginny decided to check on him to make sure he wouldn't turn back on their deal.

* * *

**A/N: I would like to apologize to my readers again, for updating so late. This time, I don't have any valid reason, just one of my usual bouts of laziness. BUT! To make up for it, I made this chapter extra long, Plus, I'll also upload the next chapter immediately. Hope you'll enjoy!**

**Oh, and if you did enjoy reading this and the next chapter, please be kind enough to leave me a review. I would accept it even if you are reprimanding me in your review, telling me what a lazy author I am. Haha, so there.**

** Young Mistress Malfoy**


	4. Ginny's Defiance

**Disclaimer:** Characters belong to the very brilliant Ms. JK Rowling. The plot of this fic is all I own.

**Chapter 4- Ginny's Defiance**

Ginny got out of the great hall discreetly, and walked towards the dungeons. She did not know that Draco was following her at a safe distance. She reached Snape's office and knocked loudly on the door.

Snape opened the door a crack again, and peered outside. He saw Ginny, and instead of inviting her in like he usually did, he asked her what she wanted without even opening the door wider.

"Well Professor, I, um, I wanted to know if my potion is ready and if I can drink it now." She asked frankly, getting to the point.

Snape opened the door and invited her in. "Come in Miss Weasley." Ginny got in, and immediately she noticed that the potion was nowhere in sight. When Snape closed the door, Draco approached and put his ear on the wood to listen in on their conversation. He felt nervous. What would Snape say? And would Ginny buy it?

"About your potion, I'm afraid you are going to have to wait for another month, because I accidentally ruined the first batch." He lied. If Ginny hadn't heard what He and Draco talked about a while ago, and if she hadn't seen the potion for herself, she would have believed it, for he was keeping such a straight face. However, she decided to play along.

"What? Oh, no…" she said, trying her best to look disappointed. "Oh, Professor, I was really hoping I could do it now."

"I'm sorry Miss Weasley. I'll try not to make a brewing mistake the next time. Now, run along and, well…" he paused, looking unsure. "try to get a little used to it for now." he finished.

Ginny tried to look downcast. "Alright Professor. Thank you. And please tell me when the next batch is ready."

--

Draco breathed a sigh of relief as he heard the conversation close. He ran back to the great hall, mentally planning to talk to Ginny, to work out their reconciliation, first thing after classes.

--

Ginny got out of the dungeon room and seethed. _Snape must have agreed to help Draco! How dare that…that…_ she thought bitterly as she walked. It didn't matter; she would still follow through with her plan. And she will do it tonight.

--

After classes, Draco looked for Ginny, but he couldn't find her. The night was getting deeper, and his time for patrolling the corridors drew near. He sighed and gave up looking for her. If he was lucky, he'd find her wandering the corridors.

--

Ginny borrowed Harry's invisibility cloak, or rather, she took it behind his back. She made her way out of the Gryffindor tower and through the dungeon hall, which was fairly easy because everyone was sleeping. As she turned the corner, however, she almost brushed into Draco. _Crap!_ She swore silently under her breath. She had forgotten that it was Draco's turn to patrol the corridors tonight. He stopped and sniffed, but before he could make anything out, Ginny ran. She ran silently the length of the hall, until she reached Snape's office. She stopped to catch her breath, and then tried to open the door. She wasn't surprised to find it locked. Luckily, Hermione taught her an advanced unlocking spell. It was dark magic, it could unlock anything, and she dared not use it, but this was a special situation. She successfully unlocked the door. She went in, and, realizing that searching through every shelf is going to waste a lot of time, waved her wand around.

"_Accio, Fetus-expelling potion!_" she muttered under her breath. Suddenly the vial containing the blood red liquid zoomed around the room into her hand. _This is it,_ she thought. _There's no turning back now._ She removed the stopper and drank the potion. She intended to drink the whole thing to the last drop, but a burning sensation caused her to choke on the potion. In short, she only drank half of it, and the rest spilled out on the floor as she choked and dropped the vial.

She panted and leaned against the table for support. It felt as though her insides were burning; nevertheless, it was still bearable. All of a sudden, the burning sensation stopped. And then, the pain came.

--

A scream echoed through the dungeon hall. Draco stopped, frozen in his tracks. _Ginny!_ He thought. _Oh god, Ginny, hold on._ He said, as the feeling came back to his legs. He should've known it was her; he smelled her flowery scent, but he dismissed it as imagination. He ran as fast as he could towards the direction of Ginny's screaming: Snape's office. Another scream made him dash faster. _Hold on, Ginny, hold on…please…don't let our child go…hold on,_ he thought frantically as he ran. Another scream rang out.

Finally, after what seemed like ages to Draco, he reached the last dungeon. He frantically pushed the heavy wooden door and rushed in, but was immobilized at the sight that greeted him.

Ginny, his sweet Ginny, was clutching at a table in an effort to keep herself standing up. Her knuckles were white from the tightness of her grip, and her face was contorted in pain, both physical and emotional. Blood trickled down her legs, and a large pool of blood was underneath her. As he watched, unable to move, her face contorted again and she screamed in pain. The sound made Draco snap out of his shock, but as he took one step towards her, blood _gushed_ from between her legs. It flowed profusely out of her, that he wondered at the back of his mind why she wasn't fainting from lack of blood yet. The gushing slowed to a trickle, but after a few seconds, she screamed again and the blood gushed again. Suddenly, he understood why the potion was called "Fetus-expelling". It really was trying to expel the fetus, and painfully at that. The potion made her placenta burst, and her muscles contract, which would force the fetus out of the mother's womb. It would do this every few seconds, until the fetus, and all the blood in the placenta, is out of the mother's body.

Ginny whimpered as the gushing receded to a trickle, but she knew it would happen again after a few seconds. She was shaking violently from fear and pain, and tears were streaming down her face. Draco rushed and caught her as she fell when she screamed, copious amounts of blood surging out again between her legs. She looked up at Draco's face which was a mask of anguish. He held her in his arms, his despair and panic overwhelming him.

"Winky! WINKY!" He called out frantically to no one in particular. He knew that Crouch's elf worked in the castle, as he had gone down to the kitchens to steal food way too many times. A soft 'pop' was heard, and Winky appeared beside them. At the same time, a bookshelf opened, revealing a secret room which was Snape's private quarters. Snape got out of his room but froze in shock at the sight of all the blood that covered the floor. Draco looked up at him.

"Professor, what should I do?" He asked, tears now leaking freely from his eyes. Ginny was whimpering in his arms.

Snape was still frozen in place when Ginny screamed. Draco bellowed in anguish as blood surged from between her legs. Snape looked on in horror at the scene. "Professor!" Draco shouted, pleading.

"Have the elf apparate the two of you to the hospital wing." Snape said urgently. "I will follow shortly. Quick!"

Draco did not need telling twice. He carried Ginny in his arms as the blood flow receded. He held the elf at its wrist and directed it to take them to the hospital wing. A loud crack rang out, and Draco was gone with Ginny. Snape tried to catch his breath, and then went back into his private quarters to get dressed. When he was done, he returned to the office and muttered "_Scourgify!_". Instantly, all the blood disappeared, leaving the room clean. He went out of his office, locked the door, and headed to the hospital wing.

--

Draco and Ginny arrived with a 'pop' inside the hospital wing. Lights turned on immediately in Madam Pomfrey's room. She stood up and went out, preparing to lecture the person responsible for disturbing the sleep of her patients.

"What in Merlin's name do you think you are…" she was unable to finish her sentence as she looked at the bloodied bodies of Draco and Ginny. "Sweet Merlin! What happened?" she asked, as she motioned for Draco to lay Ginny down on one of the beds. As he was doing this, Ginny screamed again and more blood gushed out.

"She drank Fetus-expelling potion! Please help her!" Draco panicked.

Madam Pomfrey nodded and retreated to her potion cabinet with amazing speed. She returned shortly carrying two vials, just as Ginny screamed again.

"Drink this, dear. It will stop the bleeding and help regenerate you blood faster." Madam Pomfrey said, holding out the vial of clear blue potion to Ginny. Ginny was sobbing hard and crying like a child, and she couldn't hold the vial properly. It slipped out of her hand, but Draco caught it and pulled the stopper out. He held it for Ginny to drink. She downed it in one gulp, and immediately, the bleeding stopped.

"Drink this, too. It will take away the pain and help you fall asleep." Madam Pomfrey said again as she held out another vial which contained a translucent white fluid. Draco took it and made Ginny drink the potion. After a few seconds, she calmed down, and Draco knew that the potion worked. Madam Pomfrey waved her wand over Ginny, and at once all the blood cleared out from her body, and she was dressed in clean sleeping clothes. Draco also got his wand out and cleaned himself.

"Well Mister Malfoy, thank you for bringing her here." Madam Pomfrey said, turning to him. "You may leave now and go to sleep. You will have a lot of explaining to do tomorrow." She said, eyeing him intently. She turned to leave, but Ginny whimpered.

"What is it my dear?" Madam Pomfrey asked, concerned.

"Please…let him stay…heerrrre weeth meeh." Ginny said, slurring the words out due to the effect of the second potion. Draco looked down at her and smiled. He was grateful that she wanted him to stay.

Madam Pomfrey sighed. "Alright. But you have to explain yourselves to Professor Dumbledore tomorrow." Draco sat down on the chair beside Ginny's bed. When Madam Pomfrey finished speaking, someone knocked at the door of the hospital wing. She went to get the door.

--

Draco and Ginny looked into each others' eyes. Even though Ginny's eyes were slowly clouding with sleep, their stares clearly conveyed love. Explanations and forgiveness passed wordlessly between them. Draco held Ginny's hand and pressed it gently to his lips.

"Ginny, I'm so sorry. I never should have said that to you. I was being a jerk." He whispered, his right hand holding her hand which he kissed, while his left caressed her hair. Ginny removed her hand from Draco's and brought it to his face. She stroked his cheek gently and smiled.

"It'ssss alright…I was stupeed tooo." She slurred. "You did itttt, Dracow, you got there jusst in time. You sayved our child." She said, running her fingers delicately through his hair. Draco caught her hand again and brought it to his lips.

"I love you, Ginny. Please don't scare me like that again." Draco said, gazing lovingly down at her.

"I…lurrrve you too, Dracow." She said. Her eyes were closed now, and she was about to speak again when Draco put his finger over her lips.

"Sssh. Go to sleep now, Ginny. You need to regain your strength." He whispered in her ear. He knew she was asleep when she didn't respond, and her breathing became regular. Draco watched her for a few seconds more before drifting of to sleep to the sound of Madame Pomfrey telling Snape that visitors were not allowed at this time of night.

* * *

**A/N: Well, how did you like it? I would like to know what you think about this dramatic chapter (as well as the other one before this). This is a reward to all of you for waiting patiently for these chapters. Let me know if you enjoyed it, and drop me a review, ok?**

** Young Mistress Malfoy**


	5. Repercussions

**Disclaimer:** Characters belong to the very brilliant Ms. JK Rowling. The plot of this fic is all I own.

* * *

**Chapter 5- Repercussions**

The next morning, Ginny awoke to the sound of Madam Pomfrey bustling around, tending to the other patients. She wondered why she was here, and then suddenly, all of last night's events came back to her. She moved her hand to touch her stomach, but found that someone was holding her hand. She looked down and saw Draco holding her right hand in his with utmost gentleness, and she smiled. Although Draco could be a pain sometimes, and the last two nights proved that fact, she still couldn't resist loving him. She stared down at him for a few seconds, trying to memorize the look on his face while he slept. He looked tired and at the same time innocent, with his mouth slightly open. His head was resting on the side of Ginny's bed, while his body was seated on a chair. She rolled so that she was laying on her side and gently caressed Draco's blonde hair with her other hand. She remembered the times she locked her fingers in these silky blonde strands of his: the times when they made love, or simply just enjoyed the warmth of each other's company. She always loved running her fingers through his hair.

"Draco," she called softly, still caressing his hair with her fingers. "Draco, love." she called again. Draco opened his eyes slowly, and looked at her. He straightened up and smiled.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked, concern furrowing his brows a little.

"Yes, I'm feeling fine." she said.

"Good." Draco said, and bent his head closer. He took Ginny's hand which he was holding, and brought it to his lips, kissing it tenderly. "I want you to sleep some more, you need your full rest." he said, looking at her intensely. He wanted Ginny to recover, and then he'll make up for the pain he put her through, both in the physical and emotional sense. Just then, Madam Pomfrey walked over to them carrying a clipboard and a quick-quotes quill.

"Good morning Miss Weasley, Mister Malfoy." She said, nodding to the two of them. "If you would please move aside, Mister Malfoy, I will check for Miss Weasley's improvement."

Draco moved aside and let Madam Pomfrey check on Ginny. The Healer sucked the end of the quick-quotes quill, and then put it on top of the clipboard where it stood, balanced perfectly. Then she ran her wand over Ginny's body, muttering spells under her breath. The tip of her wand glowed several colors as it touched different parts of Ginny's body. The quick-quotes quill whizzed on the paper, scribbling very fast. Finally, Madam Pomfrey finished, and took the clipboard and quill from the tabletop.

"Miss Weasley is quite fine, although she needs complete rest for two days." Madam Pomfrey said, smiling warmly.

"How about the child?" Draco and Ginny asked at the same time. They were both worried about the child, especially because it might have suffered some sort of injury due to the Fetus-expelling potion.

Madam Pomfrey's smile did not waver, and they took this as a good sign. "Oh, the child is fine. Good thing Mister Malfoy brought you here before you lost more blood. By the way, Professor Snape informed Professor Dumbledore of what happened last night," she said, her expression becoming contemplative. "Professor Dumbledore will be coming here to talk to both of you. And he has asked me to…keep quiet about this." she said, motioning to Ginny. "Well, here you go, drink this; it's for your blood." Madam Pomfrey said, producing a vial of clear blue potion, similar to the one last night, from her pocket and setting it on the table beside her bed. Then she went away to check on the other patients. Draco and Ginny both looked at her retreating back.

"Draco…" Ginny called softly. "please help me up. I want to drink the potion."

Draco stood up from his chair and helped Ginny sit up. He placed his right hand on the back of her neck, his left on the small of her back, and pulled her up. Her body suddenly felt strange to him, as if he was holding a ten year old child. She seemed small and frail as he held her against him, her breath warm on his clothed chest. Then he propped up the pillows behind her back. When she had settled, she reached for the vial, but Draco was too quick for her. He snatched it from the table before her fingers even brushed the vial. He pulled the stopper and held out the vial for her to drink, all the while smiling at her.

Annoyed, Ginny rolled her eyes. "Draco, I can manage very well on my own." she said.

Draco held his smile. "I know, love. Just…let me do this for you."

Ginny sighed and took the vial from Draco's hand. She drank it slowly, relishing the smooth way it went down her throat.

* * *

Professor Dumbledore sat on his desk, holding a quill in his hand. He looked down intently on the two pieces of parchment he was writing on. It bore the same message, and he was thinking of how to phrase his words carefully, in case the recipients react badly because of the message the letters held. He wrote for a few more minutes, addressed and sealed both parchments, and gave it to the two owls waiting on the owl perch near his window. The owls flew off immediately after the letters were tied to their legs. Dumbledore looked on until both owls were out of sight, and then went out of his office, heading for the hospital wing.

* * *

Ginny was just drifting off to sleep when she heard Madam Pomfrey greet Professor Dumbledore. "Good morning Headmaster." she said brightly. "Miss Weasley and Mister Malfoy are on the last bed in the corner."

"Thank you, Poppy." Dumbledore said. "I trust you informed no one of the incident?" he asked.

"No one knows Headmaster. Except maybe for Professor Snape. All the other student patients were given forgetfulness draughts." Madam Pomfrey answered.

"Very good. I will go and talk to them now." he said, and walked towards the farthest bed.

Draco and Ginny looked at each other with a mixture of emotions in their eyes. Both of them were thankful that Dumbledore had the insight to keep the incident from everyone, but they were also anxious about his interrogation. Draco pressed Ginny's hand gently as Dumbledore came near them. He conjured a chair from thin air with a wave of his wand and sat down next to Draco. He smiled pleasantly at the two of them.

"Good morning, Mister Malfoy, Miss Weasley." he said, then, facing Ginny, "Are you feeling quite well?"

"Yes Professor." she replied. Dumbledore nodded and faced both of them again.

"Very good. Now, I came here to let you know that I have informed your parents about what happened. I expect all four of them will be coming later this afternoon to settle things. I will summon you when they have arrived." Dumbledore paused, and then cleared his throat as Ginny and Draco exchanged worried glances.

As if answering their thoughts, he said, "You need not worry that they might overreact. I have phrased everything carefully. Also," he paused again, waiting for their attention, "I have come to ask a few questions."

At Dumbledore's last words, Draco and Ginny tensed. Draco pressed Ginny's hand a little too hard, making her wince in pain. Dumbledore chuckled.

"There's no need to crush Miss Weasley's hand, Mister Malfoy." Dumbledore said amusedly. "I am just going to ask you to give a full account of what happened."

Ginny sighed in relief, but Draco was still tensed. He was thinking how it was his entire fault that Ginny was in this condition, plus her pregnancy was now exposed to Dumbledore and Snape. He was deep in his thoughts when he heard Ginny speak to Dumbledore; she was explaining exactly what happened.

"Draco and I have a relationship, Professor…uhh, an intimate one" Ginny said, a little hesitatingly. Dumbledore chuckled pleasantly again.

"Oh, that much is obvious, Miss Weasley." he said. "Please go on."

Ginny continued. "Well, I…I got…uh--"

"I got her pregnant." Draco cut her off. "She told me she was when I asked her to marry me. After she told me, I…I got…I don't know what came to me, I just said that we can't have a child yet, I'm not ready for it." he said it all, very fast, and then added, "And then I told her that the child has to go."

Dumbledore was listening and nodding all the while. "Go ahead, Mister Malfoy," he said. "What happened next that landed the two of you here in the Hospital Wing?" he inquired, fixing his eyes at Draco.

Draco looked uncomfortable under Dumbledore's scrutinizing gaze, but continued on with what happened. How Ginny got angry and asked for Snape's help, how Snape brewed the potion and Draco found out, and how he asked Snape not to let Ginny drink the potion. He also described how he smelled Ginny's hair going in the direction of the dungeons during his patrol, but ignored it. By the time he got to the part where he opened the dungeon door after hearing Ginny scream, he was shaking badly; he couldn't continue so he stopped talking. Dumbledore patted Draco on the back understandingly.

"It's alright Mister Malfoy. I think I get what happened next. But before I leave the two of you, let me ask you one more question. What are you planning to do?" he said.

Draco glanced at Ginny before answering Dumbledore's question. He has already decided what he was about to do, but he was very unsure of what Ginny's reaction would be.

"Well Professor…I would like to marry Ginny…if she'd still have me…" he said, and then looked at Ginny with uncertainty in his eyes. Ginny stared at him with a hard blazing look on her face, which made Draco all the more nervous; he couldn't read her eyes. He felt his heart beating wildly inside him while waiting for Ginny's answer.

"Of course I'll have you, Draco." Ginny answered softly. "It's not as if I had another choice." she added, joking.

Draco laughed weakly and stroked her hair, while Dumbledore smiled.

"Very good. Then I advise you to settle everything with your parents. And although I do not approve of early marriage," Dumbledore paused and looked at them, then continued, "as these are special circumstances, I will allow the two of you have Mister Malfoy's room as sleeping quarters. I trust that you will find…sufficient privacy in there once you are married." he said, smiling. Ginny blushed as red as her hair, while Draco had a pink tinge in his cheeks. Dumbledore seemed to not have noticed their embarrassment and stood up to leave.

"Thank you for answering my questions, Mister Malfoy, Miss Weasley. I must go now. You are excused from your classes today, and I will send for you when your parents have arrived." He straightened his clothes, bid them good day, and then strode out of the room.

* * *

Draco and Ginny have been waiting for hours for Dumbledore's summons. They were both nervous as to what their parents' reaction might be. They were thinking that maybe their parents had forgotten and wouldn't come when suddenly a large screech owl tapped violently on the glass of the window near Ginny's bed. Draco let go of Ginny's hand which he was holding since Dumbledore left and went to open the window. The owl immediately flew inside the hospital wing and dropped a roll of parchment on Ginny's bedside table. Then it flew out through the window again. Ginny was about to reach out for the scroll when Draco held her hand. "Let me," he said.

Draco took the scroll from the table and unrolled it. It was from the Headmaster.

_Mister Malfoy and Miss Weasley,_

_Your parents are here. They are in my office, as that is where I wish everyone to discuss whatever needs to be discussed. Please get here as soon as you receive this message. I trust Miss Weasley is already quite well by the time this note arrives._

_Prof. Dumbledore_

_PS. I enjoy Lemon Drops_

"What does it say, Draco? Are we being summoned? Are our parents here?" Ginny asked, a hint of worry in her voice. Draco pressed Ginny's hand which he was holding. "Yes, they're here. I'm afraid we must go and face them." he answered, resigned. But upon seeing Ginny frown more, he added, "I'm sure it'll be fine…in the end, at least."

Draco helped Ginny stand up from the bed. She was still a little light-headed from lying down all day. She changed into her school uniform, and then she and Draco headed for Dumbledore's office, thanking Madam Pomfrey on their way out.

"You're welcome. But please, Mister Malfoy, do take care of Miss Weasley. Make sure she gets her two days' worth of rest." She said.

"Oh, of course Madam Pomfrey." Draco replied. "We must be going now, Professor Dumbledore had been expecting us a few minutes ago."

* * *

Draco entered Dumbledore's office first, leading Ginny after him. Sure enough, his parents were there. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy were both wearing stony expressions which turned to stiffness when Draco and Ginny entered the office. At the other side of the room, Molly Weasley was sobbing quietly on the shoulder of her husband who had a vein throbbing at his temple. Dumbledore greeted Draco and Ginny pleasantly, which caused Mrs. Weasley to look up from her husband's shoulder.

"My baby!" she said, rushing to Ginny and enveloping her in a tight hug. "What happened to you? Are you alright?" she asked in between sobs.

"I'm fine, mum." Ginny said, catching her breath after her mother's bone-crushing hug. She was about to speak again when Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"Now, now, Molly, calm down. Mister Malfoy, Miss Weasley, please take seats." He said, waving his wand, causing a two-seater couch to appear before them. Draco helped Ginny take her seat, and then sat down beside her. He glanced at Mr. Weasley, who was glaring at him, and then at his parents, who were still sitting stiffly.

Dumbledore smiled pleasantly, as if oblivious to the tension around him. "Well now, we are here to discuss about Mister Malfoy and Miss Weasley's…ah, future. But before that," he waved his wand again, this time causing seven goblets to appear, along with a large bottle of mead. He poured a good measure of the honey-coloured liquid into each of the glasses, and the glasses floated towards each person. "I think we all need a drink to relax us a bit." Then, he raised his goblet in a toast. "To your children's future." He said, then downed the contents of his goblet in one gulp. The Malfoys did the same, though it did not affect their stiffness. The Weasleys did the same too, and the mead calmed Molly down a bit, while Arthur closed his eyes, obviously waiting for the mead to take effect. Draco gulped his own down and felt the liquid warm him from the inside. Ginny took her goblet and was about to drink it when Draco held her hand back.

"The baby." He whispered. Dumbledore turned to face Draco.

"Ah, I'm so sorry, Mister Malfoy. My mistake, my mistake. I quite forgot." He said, then waved his wand again, replacing Ginny's mead with pumpkin juice. Ginny took her goblet timidly, because everyone's attention had turned to her. She closed her eyes and drank the juice as Dumbledore spoke again.

"I think your parents would first like to know what happened." He said, prompting Draco and Ginny to speak. Draco and Ginny looked at each other; everyone's attention was now focused on them, and Draco could see very clearly that the vein in Mr. Weasley's temple was near to bursting point. He held Ginny's hand, took a deep breath and started to explain.

"Well, uh, you all know that Ginny and I have a relationship." He started, a little uncomfortable due to the glares of his parents and Ginny's father. If he didn't love Ginny, he would have chickened out at the glare Arthur Weasley was giving him. He cleared his throat and continued.

"We became intimate at the start of term, and, uh, since I was head boy and I had my own room, being intimate while in school became easy." He continued, his cheeks getting steadily pinker as he talked. "Ginny and I are very much in love, so…well, the point is, I got her pregnant. I didn't know at first, and, one time when we…you know, after our lovemaking, I asked her to marry me, be the mother of my children." He paused, averting his eyes from his parents. He faced Arthur Weasley, determined to show the older man that he was sincere in his intentions. "I was really sincere about that request, and I'd hoped she'd say yes. I really wanted her to be my wife, and I still do; I thought, we are very near to finishing our education so, what better time to ask her than that time?" he said, staring straight into Arthur Weasley's eyes. It was very hard for him not to flinch beneath the older man's glare.

"Naturally, I was very happy when she said yes to my proposal. She also said she _was_ the mother of my child. That's where I got confused. I asked her what exactly she meant by that, and she told me she was with child." He looked at Ginny this time. "I guess she expected me to be happy at her revelation, but…well, I wasn't ready for a child that time. So I told her to get rid of it." He said as he looked at her tenderly, caressing her hand while he spoke. "She got very angry at me, and asked for Professor Snape's help in getting rid of the child. I discovered it, and I told Professor Snape to not let her drink the potion. But he's already brewed the potion, and somehow, Ginny knew that. You see, I was thinking of my irresponsibility towards Ginny, and how I might have hurt her. I wasn't about to give her up; I loved her too much. I wanted us to be a family."

Draco was overcome by his emotion, and he paused. He pressed Ginny's hand, all the while looking deep into her eyes, searching for forgiveness all over again. Ginny smiled tenderly at him, giving him the forgiveness he sought, and encouraging him to go on. He smiled back at her, took a deep breath, and continued.

"I thought of apologizing to her during our classes, but she just wouldn't let me. She was very angry, and rightly so, for I have hurt her by telling her to get rid of our child. She avoided me at all costs. I thought, I might meet her during my night patrol, and then I'd explain to her that I wanted her to keep the child. So I went to my regular Head Boy duty of patrolling the corridors. When I got to the hall where the dungeons were, I sort of _smelled_ the scent of her hair. I thought I had imagined it so I ignored it, and I don't know how it happened but it _was_ her."

"I was at the end of the hall when I heard her scream. My blood ran cold as I thought of what might have happened to her. I was silently pleading that she and the child wouldn't get hurt as I ran to Professor Snape's office. That's where the potion was, by the way. So I opened the door, and I saw that she was bleeding profusely between her legs. At her feet there was already a pool of blood and she screamed every time she bled. I frantically called out a house elf, and Professor Snape came out of his sleeping quarters. I think even he was shocked at the sight of Ginny bleeding so much, because he froze for a while before responding to my panicked calls for help."

As Draco was describing the details, Molly let out a loud moan. She rushed to Ginny's side and hugged her. Even the Malfoys looked a little distressed.

"Oh, my baby!" Molly cried. "Oh sweetheart, you could have died!"

Ginny squirmed uncomfortably in her mother's embrace. "I'm fine mum, Draco brought me to the hospital wing just in time."

At the mention of Draco's name, Molly released her daughter, turned to Draco and embraced him tightly. "Oh, thank you so much for bringing our baby to the hospital wing." Molly said, sobbing hysterically.

"Ginny wouldn't have needed saving if you hadn't hurt her." Arthur Weasley said. His voice was cold as steel; he was clearly angry. Draco's parents couldn't speak in their son's defense, since they knew that Draco was really at fault. The tension mounted again, and thankfully, Dumbledore intervened.

"Everyone, please calm down. Let Draco finish, Molly, Arthur." He said, refilling their goblets with mead. "Here, here, drink this."

Molly returned to her chair and both she and her husband drank the mead that Dumbledore offered. The tension melted again, and Draco continued with his explanation.

"Erm, well, that's about it. Madam Pomfrey gave her two potions to help replenish her blood and to give her dreamless sleep. I asked for her forgiveness, and she gave it to me, even though in my opinion, she shouldn't have forgiven me that easily. But I was grateful for it, and I loved her all the more." He looked at Dumbledore, signaling that his explanation was finished. "I suppose we are all here to talk about what we plan to do after this." He concluded. He looked at his and Ginny's parents, wanting to know their say. It was Arthur Weasley who spoke first.

"Well, yes, may I know what you plan to do?" he said, antagonism heavy in his voice. Draco opened his mouth to answer, but Ginny spoke first.

"Dad, please give Draco a chance." She said pleadingly. "We love each other, as he said, and believe it or not, it's true." She looked imploringly at her father, who seemed to consider what she said. After a few tense moments, Arthur sighed. He didn't look angry anymore; instead he looked tired and resigned. "Very well." He said. "What are you planning to do?"

Draco smiled gratefully at the older man. "Well, we are planning to get married. Ginny and I haven't talked about the details yet, and, well, we wanted to have your permission first, before planning on anything for our wedding." He put his arm around Ginny's shoulders at this; he seemed to think she needed his support. He looked at their parents nervously, waiting for their approval. Lucius Malfoy spoke first.

"Well, your mother and I knew your relationship will end up in marriage anyway." He said, still reluctant to meet anyone's eyes. "We were surprised, of course, when we received the Headmaster's letter. We weren't expecting what happened, and the moment you explained, I wanted to wring your neck." He said. "We didn't bring you up to be irresponsible, Draco. Thank Miss Weasley for forgiving you, for if she didn't I would've followed through with wringing your neck."

"Yes Draco," Narcissa Malfoy spoke next. "Thank Miss Weasley. It was very kind of her to forgive you." She said softly. Then, she faced Ginny. "Miss Weasley, we would be grateful if you married our son. He loves you very much, and, well…we know you love him, too. For you wouldn't forgive him that easily if it weren't so." She said, smiling a small smile at Ginny.

Ginny returned Mrs. Malfoy's smile, while Draco said, "I take it that's a yes, then?" he said, releasing the breath he's been holding. He smiled happily at Ginny, but Ginny was still looking at her parents.

"Well? Mum? Dad?" she said questioningly.

Arthur Weasley sighed again. "Well, we only wish for your happiness, Ginny." He said. Molly, on the other hand, was crying again.

"Oh sweetheart, you're getting married! I'm so happy for you." She said. She was about to say more but Arthur spoke up again.

"Mister Malfoy, I only ask that you take care of our daughter." He said in a strained voice. Draco smiled gratefully at them all.

"Of course, Mr. Weasley. Your daughter deserves that." He said. Dumbledore chose this moment to refill their glasses and spoke up again.

"Then let us have a toast to Mister Malfoy and Miss Weasley's future." He said, then raised up his goblet. "To your happy future."

* * *

Everyone was smiling as they rose to leave. Mrs. Malfoy took Draco and Ginny aside.

"Draco, take good care of Miss Weasley." She said in a stern voice. "I don't want that my first grandchild gets hurt again." She said. Ginny smiled, bushing a little. Draco patted his mother good bye. "Don't worry about it, mother." He said, as he waved them down the hall.

Molly and Arthur hugged their daughter and turned to leave, walking after the Malfoys. They were already halfway across the hall when Ginny shouted,

"Dad, Mum, don't tell Ron!" she yelled at their retreating backs. Molly and Arthur turned and smiled at their daughter.

"Don't worry, we'll let _you_ tell him." Molly said. They all waved at each other, and when they were gone, Draco and Ginny headed back to Draco's Head Boy room. They needed their rest for tomorrow.

* * *

**Here it is, thank you lots for waiting, this chapter was incredibly hard to write. Woohoo, please tell me you appreciate my hard work by reviewing.**

**By the way, it's my summer break from college, so you can expect that I'll be updating more often. Until then, I'd really, REALLY appreciate your reviews. It's what keeps me writing!**

**Young Mistress Malfoy**


	6. Ron Discovers

Disclaimer: Characters belong to the very brilliant Ms

**I'm sorry, I'm sorry, for making you wait long, but I had no motivation, as I only got 3 reviews. So if you want a speedy update, give me a review, okay? Any review is welcome.**

**Disclaimer:** Characters belong to the very brilliant Ms. JK Rowling. The plot of this fic is all I own.

**Chapter 6-Ron Discovers**

The early sunlight streamed through the windows of Draco's Head Boy room. He awoke, remembering last night's events. He smiled to himself; both Ginny's and his parents approved of their marriage. At long last, the dispute between the Malfoy and the Weasley families were over, and it was him and Ginny who broke it.

Draco looked tenderly at Ginny's sleeping form snuggled close to his chest. He brought his hand up and stroked her hair, careful not to wake her up. He sighed contentedly; this was how he wanted to wake up every morning for the rest of his life: with Ginny beside him. Ginny rolled over so that she was now lying on her back. Draco put his hand under the nightshirt she wore, and gently caressed her belly. It was still flat, as their child was not even two months yet. Ginny woke up at his touch and smiled at him.

"I love you, Ginny." He said as he pulled her closer to his body again. He caught her lips in a chaste kiss as she put her arm around his waist.

"I love you too, Draco." She said after pulling away from his lips. "You know, we should get down and have breakfast."

Draco smiled. He remembered that he had to take good care of Ginny, for now he was not caring for only her, but also for the child inside her. "Alright. You go and use the shower first. You might have that morning sickness or something." He said. Ginny chuckled and rose up from the bed. After thirty minutes, she was ready for breakfast. Draco rolled his eyes at the amount of time she took to get ready. He went inside the shower to prepare himself, and after thirty minutes, he was ready too. Ginny smiled mischievously at him.

"You know, if it takes one hour to get the two of us ready for breakfast, we should wake up a little earlier." She said with a smirk. Draco smirked back at her, and they both put on their bags. Draco reached for his books as he saw Ginny do the same. He stopped her from getting her books and snatched those that were already on her arms. "Let me carry these for you." He said.

Ginny rolled her eyes and grabbed her books back. "I can very well carry them on my own, Draco. Don't you dare treat me like I suddenly had a disability." She snapped at him.

"All right, all right, let's just go down now. Everyone might be looking for us."

--

As they entered the great hall together, some of the Gryffindors and the Slytherins looked at them. Draco insisted on holding Ginny's hand, and when Ron saw them, he scowled darkly, and determinedly looked away from the sight. Harry meanwhile choked on his potatoes; although everyone knew that Draco and Ginny have a relationship, he couldn't help being jealous of Malfoy. In Harry's mind Ginny was _his_ first, and when he learned about her relationship with Malfoy, he did not believe it until he saw them together, sleeping in a compartment on Hogwarts Express at the start of term.

Draco led Ginny to the Gryffindor table and kissed her cheek as she sat down between Ron and Hermione. He then walked away to the Slytherin table, and Ginny saw Blaise clap him at the back, calling him 'you lovesick young fool'. Draco's cheeks stained pink but he clapped Blaise at the back as greeting and sat down beside the boy. Ginny smiled at the sight of them then turned to greet Hermione, Ron and Harry. Ron stuffed his mouth with his mashed potatoes, probably to avoid saying something bad about Draco that might upset Ginny, as Hermione hugged her good morning. Harry was looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Oi Ginny, why was he holding your hand?" he asked, trying to look unconcerned, but failing miserably.

"Well, we are a couple, aren't we? We're allowed to do that, last time I checked." She answered him cheekily. Harry choked on his food again.

"Yes but…what I mean is…ehrm, you've never…" he stammered. Ron swallowed loudly, and cut Harry out.

"You haven't let him hold your hand before inside the great hall." He said darkly. "I guess you're becoming too cozy with each other, aren't you, what with you not sleeping in your _own_ dormitory and all."

Hermione looked away from Ginny at this; Ginny knew it was Hermione who told Ron about her _new_ sleeping quarters.

"Ron, do mind your own business. I can do whatever I want, just like you can. Everyone knows you and Hermione sleep with each other." She retorted. Hermione blushed but still kept her eyes averted from Ginny.

"Yes, but you're different, you're a girl, for heaven's sake!" he said, concern furrowing his brows.

"Oh, and Hermione's not a girl?" Ginny snapped. By now, a few of their fellow Gryffindors were listening in on their quiet argument.

"That's not what I meant…" he said, sounding defeated. Hermione chose to intervene at this point.

"Ron, please, that's enough. Let Ginny eat." She said, a hint of hurt in her voice. At this, Ron became silent and looked apologetically at Hermione.

--

Ginny's first lesson for the day was Care of Magical Creatures with the Ravenclaws. Draco insisted in escorting her to the grounds.

"Draco, it's alright, I can manage on my own. You don't need to act like my bodyguard; people are giving us strange looks just seeing us with each other."

Draco smirked and kissed Ginny goodbye as they reached the grounds. Harry cleared his throat loudly at this, and Ron's eyebrows rose so high they were in danger of disappearing up his hair. Draco and Ginny ignored them as Draco handed Ginny her bag. Before leaving, he whispered something that made Ginny blush and giggle. Ron interrupted.

"Will you, Malfoy, stop flirting with my sister?" he said loudly for everyone to hear. Luckily, no one paid attention to Ron.

Draco smirked. "What's wrong with that, Weasley? We are a couple, and besides, she's going to be my wif--"

"What's that?" Harry cut in sharply.

"Nothing Potter. Mind your own business. Oh, and you too, Weasley." He said before walking away with a smug expression on his face.

Harry sported an incredulous look, as Ron huffed angrily. Hermione tried to calm the boys down but to no avail. Ron was too overprotective of Ginny and Harry was simply jealous. Ron rounded on Ginny.

"Oi, what was that all about?" he said.

"What are you talking about, Ron?" Ginny said innocently. She knew that he was referring to the way _they_ were behaving.

"The whole holding your hand, carrying your bag, escorting you to the grounds, kissing you goodbye, making you giggle with his whisper thing. You are being too lewd, don't you think?" He said as calmly as he possibly could. He was really disturbed about the way the two of them were acting. "I mean, you've never done that before; you've never let him do that."

"Ron, please" Hermione interrupted. "The class is starting."

Ginny smiled cheekily at her brother. Luckily for her, they hadn't had the chance to talk again because they were busy with the unicorns. When the class ended, Ginny hurried back to the castle to avoid Ron and Harry. Draco was waiting for her at the entrance and caught her in his arms as she hurried past. Ginny tried to wriggle free.

"Let me go, Draco, Ron's trailing behind me like Rita Skeeter." She said as she ran from him. Draco ran after her, and they hid inside Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Ginny giggled and Draco snickered as Ron hurried past, obviously looking for Ginny.

"Your brother doesn't seem too pleased." Draco said, still snickering.

"He doesn't know Draco." She said, her face becoming serious.

--

Dinner came, and Ginny, escorted by Draco, sat down between Ron and Colin at the Gryffindor table. At Ginny's request, Draco refrained from kissing her before making his way to the Slytherin table, but insisted on holding her hand. Ron completely ignored her and Harry kept on staring at her. She was becoming annoyed, so she turned away from him and faced Colin. She was talking animatedly to Colin as she ate dinner. Now and then she and Draco exchanged glances. Suddenly, Professor Dumbledore asked for everyone's attention.

"My dear students! Today Professor Flitwick is celebrating his fiftieth birthday. Wine will be served in honor of the occasion. Let us all wish a longer, fulfilled life for our dear professor." He said, and wine replaced the water inside their goblets. The students ooh-ed and aah-ed in delight as they drank the wine. Ginny took her goblet and downed it in one gulp; it tasted delightful. I was like sweet wine, and it made her warm inside. The goblet refilled itself, and she was about to down it all again when a strong hand stopped her from doing so. She looked up from her goblet and met Draco's stormy gray eyes. He was clearly very displeased, though Ginny didn't know why. She looked questioningly at him.

"That's enough, Ginny." He said firmly, then grabbed Ginny and got out of the Great hall. This immediately caught Ron's attention, and he silently followed them. Once Draco and Ginny reached Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, Draco rounded on Ginny.

"What do you think you're doing, Ginevra?" he said angrily. The alcohol in the wine was slowly affecting Ginny's mind, and so she could not understand why Draco was being so angry.

"What's wrong, Draco? Why are you so angry?" she said softly, trying to appease him by gently caressing his arm. Unknown to them, Ron was watching and listening in on them.

Draco drew in a breath and tried to control his temper. After all, Ginny didn't seem to know. "You are not supposed to drink anything with alcohol. It will harm our child." He said, pulling Ginny into his arms. "I don't want any harm to come to you, or the baby."

Ron's eyes widened in shock as he heard this statement. What was the ferret talking about? Is Ginny pregnant?

"Oh, Draco, I didn't realize…I'm sorry…" she said, holding on to him.

"It's alright Ginny. But from now on you have to be mindful of what you eat. You have to be careful, love. If you or the baby get hurt…"

"I'm sorry…" Ginny said. Draco pulled her close and kissed her. Ginny melted into his arms, as he explored every corner of her mouth, tasting the wine that she previously drank. They pulled apart when they heard someone clearing his throat.

Ron was there, staring at them and looking very red.

"What in bloody hell have you done to my sister, Malfoy?" He said, holding on to control his temper.

"Oh, so you found out." Draco said in a clipped voice. "Been eavesdropping on us, Weasley?"

"YOU GOT HER PREGNANT!" Ron bellowed. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS, JUST YOU WAIT…WAIT TILL MY FATHER LEARNS OF THIS!"

"Ron, please, Mum and Dad already know." Ginny pleaded. Ron was stumped and looked at Ginny in shock.

Had their parents allowed this?


	7. You Are Just Going to Have to Accept It

**Many thanks to all those who reviewed! I love you all! Please, please drop me a review again! )**

**Disclaimer:** Characters belong to the very brilliant Ms. JK Rowling. The plot of this fic is all I own.

**Chapter 7-You Are Just Going to Have to Accept It**

Ron stalked angrily out of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. He could not believe everything he heard, much less what Ginny told him. How could his parents know and not do anything about it?

He hurried to the Owlery, where Pigwidgeon was sitting, unusually quietly on his perch. Ron thought something was wrong with his owl until he saw upon closer inspection that it was asleep. He tore a piece of parchment from his robe pocket, and was about to write to his parents when a handsome eagle owl soared inside, carrying an envelope that had a crest which was all too familiar to Ron. "Malfoy's." He sneered.

Ron tried to get a better view of the envelope on the owl's beak to see whom it was addressed to. His eyes widened when he saw silver slanted writing. _Ginevra Weasley_ it said.

Ron wondered who from the Malfoy family could be writing to Ginny and why. He tiptoed nearer the owl which was feeding and made a grab for the envelope. The owl was fast and scratched him with its sharp talons. Ron howled in pain, but the envelope fell from the owl's grip. Ron seized the envelope and ran hurriedly out, slamming the door of the Owlery.

He was wandering around the hall, looking for an empty classroom when he bumped into Professor McGonagall. Her eyes widened when she saw the tearing and blood on Ron's robes.

"Good Heavens Mister Weasley! What happened to your arm?" she exclaimed.

Ron cursed inwardly. He forgot all about the vicious bird's actions, as his mind was focused on opening the letter. "It's nothing professor, just got scratched by an owl." He mumbled.

McGonagall looked at him suspiciously. "Maybe you were stealing a letter that wasn't yours."

"No Professor, not at all!" he said, trying his best to look indignant. "I was only trying to get Harry's mail. Hedwig did this to me."

It sounded reasonable to McGonagall's ears, yet she was still in doubt. "Very well Mister Weasley, run along now." She said sternly. "And do try to clean yourself up. Heaven knows what Mister Filch will do to you when he sees you dripping blood all over the school."

Ron hastily drew his wand and healed his cuts. "Reparo!" he said, repairing his torn robes. He hurried away from McGonagall and went inside his dormitory.

--

Ron couldn't believe his eyes at what he read. The letter was from Narcissa Malfoy, telling Ginny to take care of herself, as Narcissa didn't want anything bad to happen to her grandchild _again_. Ron was puzzled. What did she mean by _again_? Did this mean that something bad happened to Ginny's baby?

By the end of the letter, which was also full of advice on baby-care, Ron was confused and angry. Narcissa Malfoy knew. And Ginny said their parents knew it, too. But Ron was angry as he has been kept in the dark.

He decided to write a letter to his parents.

_Mum and Dad,_

_What is going on with Ginny and that ferret Malfoy? I overheard them talking…is Ginny pregnant? Bloody hell, even the Malfoys know. Narcissa Malfoy sent mail to Ginny with lots of pregnancy tips. Are you okay with this? You must do something soon, or I'll strangle and tear the ferret to pieces with my bare hands for getting Ginny pregnant._

_Ron_

--

Ron was in a continuously sour mood while waiting for his parents' answer. He was especially unpleasant when he was around Draco and Ginny. Everytime he sees Draco holding Ginny possessively, he pokes Draco and whispers, "Oi, ferret! Keep your hands to yourself!" Draco drops his hand obligingly, but both him and Ginny snicker behind Ron's back.

"Your brother is really something." He drawled amusedly.

Ginny playfully hit his arm. "Yes, he can be thick sometimes."

--

A week later, Ron was alone in his dormitory. He retreated there because he could not stand the sight of that ferret always being so possessive of her sister. He was brewing up a storm in his mind, when Errol, their family owl, swooped in and dropped what could only be a Howler.

He stared at the red envelope, not daring to open it. Suddenly, the envelope unwrapped itself, formed a mouth, and bellowed.

"RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY!" Molly Weasley's voice raged, "IF GINNY HASN'T DECIDED TO TELL YOU WHAT DRACO AND HER's STATUS IS, THEN WE WILL NOT TELL YOU EITHER! IT IS NOT YOUR OR OUR BUSINESS! BUT JUST SO YOU KNOW, YOUR FATHER AND I ARE VERY WELL INFORMED! KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF RONALD, OR I WILL PERSONALLY TAKE YOU STRAIGHT HOME!"

Ron was shaking as the letter burned itself. Good thing he was alone in the dormitory. _So they knew,_ Ron thought. _ I was the only one who wasn't informed._

--

Ron was in the same mood the next day. He kept everything to himself; he wasn't even talking to Ginny anymore. And when he was around Harry and Hermione, the only thing he did was brood.

"Ron, are you listening?" Hermione asked in an exasperated voice. They were in the library, working on a potions assignment.

Ron was torn from his train of thought. "No, sorry, what was that?"

"It seems you've been out of sorts lately, Ron. What's wrong?" Said Harry.

Ron merely shrugged and slumped down on the table.

--

As the trio headed back to Gryffindor tower, Ron heard someone calling his name. It was Ginny.

"Ron! Ron! We have to talk." Ginny said as she caught up with them.

"You guys go on ahead." He told Harry and Hermione.

He and Ginny went inside an empty classroom.

"Ron," Ginny began. "I am so, so sorry for leaving you in the dark. Mum sent mail to me last night, and she told me you were furious."

"I should bloody well be!" Ron bellowed. "All of a sudden that ferret gets you pregnant, and mum and dad know, and the bloody Malfoys know, and I, your brother, was left out."

Ginny set her face defiantly. "There! You see your reaction?" Ginny spat. "The only reason I didn't want to tell you is because I knew you would react that way!" she said, fighting back her tears.

Ron was stumped. How would he have reacted if he knew in the first place?

In two strides, Ron went over to Ginny and hugged her. Ginny wasn't able to hold back her tears at this.

"Ron…you idiot…" she sobbed in his chest.

"Ssh, Ginny I'm sorry." He said as he tried to soothe her. Ginny looked up at him with her tear-stained eyes.

"Say you're a prat." She said childishly. Ron obliged. "Yes, I am a prat. Am I forgiven?"

Ginny nodded and gently pulled away from Ron. He smiled at her.

"So, is the ferret going to marry you?" he asked.

Ginny brightened up at his question. "Oh, yes, we will plan the wedding soon." She said, smiling back at Ron.


	8. Author's notes

Hello readers, lurkers, and reviewers!

I am really sorry for the VERY slow update (I mean, really, 06-28-08?). I've been very busy with schoolwork; college is tough, you know? Cliché as it might sound, I miss high school.

But, here's good news! Summer is approaching, and by then I would be able to focus on writing. I also have an idea for a new story which came to me in a stroke of inspiration. I LOOOVE writing and I'm thinking of taking a minor in creative writing/literature so I can better hone my skills. So to those who haven't given up on me yet, thank you! Please keep on being patient, I love you all!

~youngmistressmalfoy


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